Chapter Text
“Kaoru,” Kojiro said so sweetly and softly that any other time Kaoru would be waiting for some dumb prank to follow it up. “Come here.”
They had moved to the couch, Kojiro thankfully dressed in some clothes he had stashed at Kaoru’s place for S, and Kaoru had just finished relaying the parts that he felt comfortable sharing. Though he supposed that Kojiro had been hearing his inside thoughts for the last week. And knew him well enough to read the I love yous and I need you as more than a friend in between every single sentence.
What a blessing and a curse to be in love with someone who knew you so well.
“Kaoru,” Kojiro crooned again, as Kaoru refused to lift his head out of his hands. This time the sun came to him, as large warm arms wrapped around him.
“Kaoru my beautiful intelligent little idiot-”
“Well you arent exactly the swiftest knife in the fucking-” Kaoru refused to lift his head out of his hands, even though the presence of Kojiros arms around him was completely overwhelming. He wanted to pull him close and push him away and pounce on top of him and bite him senseless.
“No no no.” Kojiro laughed, gently pulling Kaoru’s hands away from his face and staring into his eyes, with such wonder and love. It made Kaoru feel safe, even if he was more vulnerable than he’d ever been before. “That girl that you are adorably stupidly jealous over? She’s my host sister from Italy."
Kaoru blinked. “Wait.”
Kojiro was laughing at him now, “yes. My very very gay host sister who is currently on a romantic vacation with her girlfriend of-” he pulled a hand away to count on his fingers which shouldn’t have been as adorable as it was, “of less than a year. Who is currently trying to propose to said girlfriend, and wanted some advice on romantic gestures.”
Kaoru snorted, “since when are you good at romantic gestures.”
Kojiro’s smile turned a little sad, as he pulled Kaoru closer, “apparently never.”
“So why haven’t I gotten to meet her yet?! Why didn't you just tell me?”
“I didn't know you were going to be upset by it! God Kaoru you’ve never said anything before, how was I supposed to know you were jealous. As though I haven't spent ten years of my life trying to impress you and failing.”
“Your stupidity impresses me every day.” Kaoru muttered, hiding his face in Kojiro’s shirt.
“See? Now how would I ever know my beautiful, smart, talented, businessman of a best friend was jealous with communication skills like that.”
“My communication skills?! I don't throw myself at every available girl within ten feet of me, you slobbering sex maniac.”
“You don’t like girls.”
Kaoru rolled his eyes, despite Kojiro not being able to see his face, he decided he should fix this, tilting his face up until it was inches away from Kojiros. “Guys then.”
“You have trust issues, you could never casually hook up with someone.” But Kojiro’s eyes flickered down to Kaoru’s lips, and there was no bite to the words.
“Kojiro. You are not helping. I’m still pissed at you for all this. And knowing me too well is not helping.”
“Do I get to kiss you now or do I need to apologize some more?”
“Well an apology wouldn't actually hur-” Kaoru smirked, only to have Kojiro lunge forward and have their lips meet. It wasn’t their first kiss, but it was the first one when both had been sober and all cards were on the table. Their first serious kiss. It tasted like the thawing of snow, like coming home.
Kaoru could feel himself melting and deepening the kiss when another thought pieced his mind, “how the fuck have you been a cat for the last week?!”
Kojiro pulled away slightly and Kaoru could see the gears in his mind struggling going from making out mode to thinking mode. He muttered something about a witch, which Kaoru found ridiculous, although he guessed it was as good of an excuse as any. He certainly didn't have a better explanation.
“So some kindly witch just turned you into a cat unprompted?” Kaoru poked, leaning away as Kojiro switched back into making out mode.
“Kaoru….” Kojior whined, “I don’t know, ok? I went into some shop and followed a cat into the back and then a lady said something cryptic about fixing things and then boom cat. And I didn’t know where to go so I went to you because I figured you would take care of me and figure out how to turn me back. And you did? So like, that's settled.”
Kaoru blinked, “Is it settled? You're ok with not knowing? What did you need to fix?”
Kojiro sighed, understanding that he wasn't going to be getting any more kisses for a while. So he thought about it. And then blushed lightly, “I think…..it was us, I was supposed to fix us?”
“Oh.”
“I don’t know if you would have let me into your house or let me comfort you if I was myself. So I think she saw this and wanted to help…. In the worst round about way. Hey!” Kojiro snapped his fingers, a glint in his eyes, “she kinda has the same communication style as you.”
Kaoru shot him a look. “You started off so sweet and strong and you had to go and ruin it there.”
“I do that sometimes,” Kojiro smirked. And Kaoru grimaced. “What? Too soon?”
“Yes! Absolutely! I have had some of the worst weeks of my life since- well you know. Since Adam the first time and then Adam the second time.”
“I’m sorry I hurt you.”
Kaoru blinked up at him, then reached out with a gentleness he usually reserved just for Carla……and more recently Fuwafuwa and embraced Kojiro.
“I’m sorry I don’t say what I am feeling. I will try to be better.”
They sat like that for a while, just breathing together. Kaoru could feel his heart knitting back together stitch by stitch, breath by breath.
“So what now?” Kojiro asked.
“What now what?” Kaoru wasn't following.
“Are we dating?”
Kaoru felt fear sink back into his body, “do you want to?”
“Do I want to!? Kaoru have you been listening to anything I have said?! Yes I want to date you. I want to wake up at a stupidly early hour in the morning and deal with your cranky ass and make sure you actually eat breakfast every day! I want to have you bitch at me for not doing my laundry or not separating my whites from my colors. I want to have seventeen toiletry items in my bathroom because you are too snooty to use my shampoo-” Kojiro was gesticulating wildly, forcing Kaoru to back up minutely for the safety of his glasses remaining on his face.
“Your shampoo is ass.”
“Stop interrupting me, I'm being romantic.”
“No, you are listing things about me that annoy you.”
“Kaoru.” Kojiro pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’m listing the extremely minor inconveniences that I want to learn to deal with because I love you and I want to take care of and accommodate you. I want you in my life, I want to see your face every day when I get home. I want to deal with Carla invading my privacy and being creepy. I want to tease you every day, because that's what we do.”
“You love me?”
“Yes! Come on four eyes I thought you were the smart one.”
“I love you too.” Kaoru almost whispered it.
Kojiro stopped mid hand wave and a big dopey grin broke over his face. “You do?”
“I do.”
Kojiro finally stopped talking and kissed him again. And it sunk in for Kaoru that finally, fucking finally, he was going to get to kiss this gorilla of a man every single day.
And also torment him every day.
It was perfect.